Introduction

This entry discusses kinship, descent, and inheritance systems in Southeast Asia, East Asia, and the Australia-Pacific regions. Due to the multiplicity of ethnic groups with varieties of local customs in these regions, the entry focuses on certain ethnic groups that exemplify how Islamic rule is in conflict with, or has adapted to or co-opted local pre-Islamic laws. The argument is that the acculturation of Islamic law and local customary laws has had different effects on the women living in these regions.